Liverpool and Newcastle receive boost in race to sign 27-year-old Manchester City star: Reports

Premier League clubs Liverpool and Newcastle United have been handed a boost as Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips reportedly wishes to remain in the Premier League.

Both aforementioned sides are currently eyeing a move for the defensive midfielder who has seen very little gametime this season for the Cityzens. Such has been the story for Phillips ever since he completed a £42 million move to Manchester City from Leeds United in the summer of 2022.

The 27-year-old midfielder has managed just four Premier League appearances this season, failing to start in any of those matches. Last season, he registered just two starts in the English top flight and none in the UEFA Champions League under Pep Guardiola.

With Rodri occupying the number six role at the Etihad Stadium, Phillips will continue to struggle to find minutes at Manchester City. Amid these circumstances, the midfielder has been rumored to move away in the near future.

With the January transfer window around the corner, several European clubs have shown an interest in the former Leeds man. Among these are Juventus, Liverpool, and Newcastle United.

Despite the Serie A giants being extremely keen on completing a deal with Phillips, the Italian publication Calciomercato believes that the player wants to stay in the Premier League.

The news comes as a boost to both English clubs, who would only have to battle it out with one another to secure the Manchester City man's services.

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Alan Hutton rules out Manchester City star Kalvin Phillips' return to Leeds United

Kalvin Phillips (via Getty Images)

Former Tottenham and Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton believes that Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips would want to remain in the Premier League over rejoining Leeds United.

Phillips came up the youth ranks at Leeds before establishing himself as a sure-shot starter at the club. He made 234 appearances for the club's senior team, scoring 14 goals and assists each across all competitions.

Claiming that a return to Elland Road is out of the question, Hutton told Football Insider:

"The fans would take him back in a heartbeat, he is a £50million player that has gone to Man City and won a treble.

"He has probably not played as much as he would like but he is still an exceptional footballer and he makes teams better. Would he go back to Leeds? I do not think so.

"Of course he has got a lot of history there but they are in the Championship at this moment in time. Yes they are a big club but I think if he was to go anywhere it would be the Premier League."

Leeds are currently third in the Championship, English football's second-division competition. A January move for Phillips to the second tier and his former side is extremely unlikely.